British English vs American English: What’s Taught in Schools?
Thursday, 13 Mar 2025
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Australians learn Australian English, though that’s closer to British English than it is to American English.
Pretty sure New Zealanders are in a similar situation.
Wouldn’t Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc. teach their own dialects?
In Dutch secondary schools you can choose either one, as long as you are consistent.
Believe it or not, Canadians learn Canadian English, not British English.
This map is completely made-up
Terrible map. Where did you get the idea that British and American are the only varieties of English?
In Turkey (and I guess in many other countries too) they tried so hard to teach us British English with all those Cambridge lessons and Cambridge writing-listening-speaking exams but still most of young people today have Americanized accent with Turkish tone because of American popular culture and movies, songs, youtube videos, social media etc.
The China part is wrong. Officially we are taught American English in school, but in reality it’s a mix of both. The spellings are American, for example realize in stead of realise, color in stead of colour. Pronunciations are also American, most notably the R sound. Tho some British words are also taught, for example biscuit.
What’s the source for this? Indonesian here I learned British English
In germany we learn both
I always look back fondly of my time as a kid in Germany when I’d be sent out of the room for English class, for fear I would infect them with my Americanisms.
I’m from China and I’m with the Academia, I can say with certainty that an overwhelming majority of the Chinese who speak English as a second language speak in American accent with American vocabulary. They may not actually sound very American because most still keep some of their Chinese accent, but you point at an underground train they say subway rather than tube.
We teach with materials produced by U.S. speakers. K-12 to graduates. (ed. The last English textbook produced by actual English I can remember were phased out when I was ten or something.)
I (after having stayed in London for about five years now interacting with Chinese students actually in England) have met two Chinese people (by nationality rather than ethnicity) besides myself who can actually speak what I consider ‘English’ English, one in slightly accented Cockney, the other RP English. The first one is a voice actor so there’s that, the other is a notorious Anglophile who still owns me money…so, you know.
You don’t get ‘that’ a lot of English cultural exposure in the Far East barring Dr. Who or Holmes or Poirot or something. People who speak in proper English English there made the effort to do it.
Nah I think Chinese are taught America English and British English both. Then we cannot tell which word is British or America
I’ve always found it funny when people say British English, I mean… It’s just English, like English English.
Good to point out that at least in Brazil there are many private english schools that opt for British English instead but the normal public school english classes are American yeah.
The Netherlands does both.
My wife was taught British English in Mexico still refuses to say Zee
What the hell is “British English”?! It’s just ENGLISH
It’s English. And variants thereof.
in algeria we study birtish english
I mean, just “English” is fine.
In Poland it is a mix but most of the time it is, indeed, British English
India is the key to this really. We will all be learning Indian English soon and so keeping up to the mark we will be. Yoda may also enjoy it.
Advanced vs. Simplified English
British for Chile as well
Ah yes, we famously learn British English in Ireland. Same in Canada I’m sure.
/s
I wouldn’t say Canada uses British English. They use Canadian English. It has some aspects of British English, some aspects of American English, and some of its own elements.
We learn Canadian English in schools in Canada, not British English.
I’m an American raising Canadian children who go to Canadian schools. I help my son with his homework. The idea that Canada uses British English is silly. It is perhaps more British in terms of spelling. But that’s about it.
I would say Canadian English is its own thing. Just like any other country where English is the national language. But everyday terms are much closer to American than British. Nobody says “mum” or “lorry” or “aeroplane”. My daughter is still in diapers. If I went to Safeway and asked where the “nappies” are, they’d be just as confused as they would be in Texas.
English and American English
Chinese here. Depends on region and school you can be taught either British or American English (the latter is prolly more popular)
Well, in class we learned trash. Not rubbish.
British English in Australia, New Zealand and Canada – what have you been smoking?
The sun never sets on the British umpire.
In Nepal, we’re taught British English too. Not in the map*
No such thing as British English. Its like saying Spanish Spanish or French French. It is English. It is the root. The rest are dialects.
In countries that do not do movies/TV shows voice synchro but rather subtitles (wester Balkans for example), we speak accent that is closer to American just because we learn most of English through movies/TV shows rather than school. And yes, I was officially taught British English in school but it was not considered an error to use American spelling or pronunciation if that was your choice.
In south America it depends on what school you went to. Most of the ones that teach english are private and some are American while others are British or European.
The main form taught in Finland is Australian, I believe. Not distinguishing it from British is very misleading. And similar arguments could be made for Ireland and Scotland.
Missing Guyana
I’d say it’s mostly British here in Uruguay too, even though the map ignored us 🙃
This is total bullshit. Where does the data come from?
In sweden there is absolutely no rules for teachers it has to be any of the two.
In Ireland it’s Hibernian English not British English. I bet Canada, New Zealand and Australia have their own versions as well.
In Kazakhstan we learn British English at school, probably same in all of the Central Asian countries